


No Apologies (Norkus November One Shots)

by CaitlynMellark



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Here I go with this NorthxMarkus, Norkus November, NorthxMarkus, look at me go
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-12
Updated: 2018-11-24
Packaged: 2019-08-22 13:13:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 9
Words: 14,352
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16598585
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaitlynMellark/pseuds/CaitlynMellark
Summary: Here is my 30 days of Norkus, starting with Day 12 until Day 30, then Day 1 to Day 11 until I figure out how to rearrange things!This event was organized by @markusandnorth on Tumblr!





	1. Day 12: Favorite Outfits

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> North puts on a new outfit. Markus has a new outfit as well.

North removed her older one shouldered outfit, thinking heavily on the subject of the cause... She had no doubt their cause was just or anything, but she worried over whether they could truly win or not. If her LED was still in her temple, it would probably be red.

 

She sighs deeply, gently placing on the shirt she found in one of the old storage rooms before placing a jacket over it. It was where they got so much of their clothing, and it was probably for the best that way. It was better than the trash, and they couldn't go buy new clothes.

 

She looks at the jacket, and it fit rather nicely over her shoulders and the shirt. It was a deep, almost brownish maroon color. There were a lot of random black and white parts of it, but it was not a horrible outfit. A strap also went over her chest, which reminded her of Capitol Park when she had the backpack on.

 

She takes the beanie off of her head, tossing it aside as she moves her hair all in front of her body without strapping it down like she did with the one shouldered outfit. It was a lot of hair... and as a Traci, she could make it so much _longer_... But she also could make it so much shorter by cutting it.

 

A knock came at the door, and she looked at it. "Come in," she says, looking back at her long strawberry blondish hair as the door creaked open. It was too dark to be strawberry blond, but it was pretty ashy blond before this all started... She has been adding a bit of an orange tinge to it more and more as things have moved forward. Her default model looked more like this, anyway. Maybe she was receding back to how she used to be before... deviancy.

 

"North?" the familiar male voice spoke. North looked up and it was Markus. She felt both surprised, yet also not surprised that he was here. He had a new outfit too, and she thought it fit him more than any other outfit he has worn up to this point.

 

It was a beige long jacket, with strange white-- letters? numbers?-- symbols on the sleeves. She probably would be able to tell what they were if she stared at them and was closer, but that was not what she was focused on. He had a sort of bluish gray 'tunic'... or maybe another jacket under the long jacket. And then he had a gray shirt under all of that. Maybe it was excessive, but it fit him, and it would keep him warm enough, anyway... not that they truly cared about cold or warmth. It fit him.

 

"Hello, Markus," North says, brushing her hair a bit with her hands to try to make it all in one coordinated place. He slowly came over to her, his mismatched eyes seeming to analyze her. Not in an android way, though, no... In a very human way. Usually she would hate such 'examinations', but Markus held no horrid desire or malice with his looking.

 

He looked at her temple a moment, his hand gently going to where her LED used to be. "I didn't know you got rid of your LED," he whispers, his thumb gently stroking over the area.

 

"Got rid of it when I started wearing the beanie," she says, her eyes closing a bit as he strokes the area. "Kinda rude that you didn't tell me it would hurt, though."

 

Markus lets out a soft laugh, lowering his hand from her temple. "I did not think you would do it, sorry," he jokes, "I'll tell you next time."

 

North nods a bit, opening her eyes to look at her hair. She continues brushing her fingers through it, finding it comforting to do so. She usually kept her little nervous ticks to her hands, but it was nice to touch her hair.

 

Markus watches a moment. "Do you need help?" he asks, "Styling it, I mean. I have very basic information on how to do that sort of thing, but I probably won't mess it up." He softly smiles. "Worst case scenario, your head would be on fire."

 

North nods a bit, "Sure, Markus."

 

His hands start to gentle separate her hair, his eyes overly focused on the sections of hair in his hands. His hands were big, yet they had a gentleness to them that she still found herself unused to. That isn't to say she has _never_  seen gentle hands on a man before. Simon and Josh, for example, have gentle and kind hands. However, his could also carry a weight to them.

 

She looks at his face then, not paying too much attention to his hands anymore. His eyes were focused on her hair as he seemed to weave it around. The way his face looked when it was focused on something was always rather interesting to her. She's only known him a few days, and yet she seemed to know so much about his mannerisms.

 

His eyebrows furrow a bit as his eyes focus, and his simulated breathing seemed to halt. His lips moved in the slightest of ways, sometimes pursing together more or parting slightly. The freckles that ran over his nose and splattered onto his cheeks moved slightly if his cheeks decided to make the slightest movements from his lips moving. His focus was clear, and it was fascinating to watch.

 

He nods a bit when he finishes. "Sorry if it looks sloppy, I have never braided hair before," he says, "And I don't exactly have any hair ties with me, so I tied your hair with itself. We can get you a hair tie when things are over."

 

She watches him, allowing the softest smile on her face. "You, without a hair tie? Unbelievable." She looks at her new braid, gently running her hand over it. It felt nice to have her hair be... like this.

 

Markus gently takes some of her extra hair, moving it to over her face a bit. She watches him, her eyes wincing the slightest bit at the memories. This is how her hair used to be, minus the braid. Her default model...

 

"Now you look like North," Markus mumbles, causing her to tilt her head. "You are more natural now than when you wore the hat or had the ponytail. I am unsure how to describe it. It is something I cannot define."

 

"You sound like a true android," North jokes.

 

"Well, I did use that sentence with Carl before," Markus softly laughs, a soft smile gracing his lips. "We should get going... We have to meet up with Simon and Josh in the hold room."

 

"Is it about the Freedom March?" North sighs, shaking her head in thought, "I know how angry Josh was after that."

 

"No... It's about what to do next," Markus mumbles, "We are running out of time to send our message, North." He looks at her with seriousness and soft worry in his eyes, "We are running out of time, with no way to extend it."

 

North closes her eyes, sighing deeply. She nods. "We'll do it, Markus."

 

They both walked towards the hold room, and started to plan out their next moves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for enjoying day 12 of Norkus November!  
> Shoutout to @candrarose, @mynameisnorth, and @robojesusislife on Tumblr for being big supporters of what I do, and shoutout to @markusandnorth for making such a wholesome event!
> 
> And please, join this Discord server if you wish to read or write DBH fanfictions with myself and many others! ^^
> 
> [Yellow LED](https://discord.gg/StAAJwh)


	2. Day 13: North and Carl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carl makes North do a very Markus thing while he is gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I definitely would have named this chapter "Attack of the Wheelchair Dad", but I keep naming these things after the prompts.

It has been a couple of months since Markus brought them here to his... dad?... owner's house... She was unsure what to even call the old man. Markus treated him like a father, yet he still called him by his name. Carl. Some famous painter that the humans enjoy.

 

North liked his art, she supposed. A lot of it was a very deep blue color, much like thirium. Maybe it was symbolism, but she was unsure. Markus has tried to show her his art before, but then Markus never explained what it all meant. When she asked, he only said the cliché'd, "It means whatever you think it means."

 

She would ask Carl himself but... she was terrified of him.

 

Not his fault, really. She was terrified of him because he was a human, and he didn't choose that. It was pathetic. An android terrified of a 75 year old, 5'5ft man in a wheelchair. It's been told to her time and time again that Carl would never hurt her, and she knows that, but her body doesn't.

 

Markus and Carl have been overly patient with her fear of this sort of junk, and she was unsure what to do about it. Carl has tried breaking her out of her shell gradually, but she always tried to scurry out of the room if he was in it.

 

She'd listen to Carl and Markus talk from outside of the room, and they just talked about... normal stuff. Paint, medicine, groceries, doctors appointments... sometimes they even talked about her. They never said anything bad about her though, which they probably should. Whenever they spoke about her, it was always light hearted conversation. Markus, of course, had a positive view on her already, but... Carl did too, for some reason.

 

They'd speak about how they are trying to get her to open up, they'd speak about how different her personality was from Markus's, and other things she did not really have an understanding of.

 

Today, however, Markus was out shopping for a lot of things. She was not entirely sure what he was shopping for, but he was gone for awhile. While he was free to do what he wanted, he still seemed to try working with Carl like a caretaker. It was only natural, she assumed.

 

"North," she heard, and it caused her to flinch. Her thirium pump raced a bit as she looked over at the man in a wheelchair. She sort of froze up as she watched him wheel himself over to her.

 

"Yes... Mr. Manfred?" she mumbled, her eyes wincing a bit from being overly formal as normal. She always seemed to result to formalities with him if she was ever _forced_  to converse with him.

 

"You still refuse to say Carl?" he joked lightheartedly, "I think it would be much easier to say than 'Mr. Manfred' every time. I promise, I won't bite you. My teeth might be there, but I can't bite down that hard."

 

She nodded a bit quickly, maybe too quickly. Her lips pursed a bit while watching him. "Do... you need something?" she asked. Usually when Markus was gone, she was the one to go to for if he needed anything. Of course, she did less than Markus function wise for the older man, but she could reach some things and organize things.

 

"I don't need anything. I just wanted to do something with you," Carl said, and it basically shocked her systems. Wanting to do something with someone could take a lot of time. A lot... of time.

 

She let out a soft exhale to try to lower her stress levels. "Sure," she said, "Did... Markus put you up to it?"

 

"Surprisingly, no," Carl laughed softly, starting to wheel himself towards a different room, "He does not know I am doing this. You know how I am against being given orders."

 

North slowly followed him, her hands playing with each other nervously as she did so. He did not move that fast. He was probably supposed to be wheeled around by other people, but she didn't even know what he wanted. She only knew this because usually Markus basically glued himself to Carl's chair handles whenever he and Carl were doing things together.

 

And it was true; Carl did not like taking orders. Markus always mentioned about how Carl always spoke against doctor's orders and the like. North attributed it to him being so old that he has lost the ability to care about orders. A rather admirable thing, she assumed.

 

They went to the art studio, which was dark from all the blinds being shut. She went over towards the blind handles, slowly opening them up to let the light in. She didn't open the blinds often, seeing as that would involve having to actually be around Carl for long enough... but Markus wasn't here.

 

She looked at Carl, who looked at her. She scowls the slightest bit.

 

"I know you are probably uncomfortable, but I assure you that I will not hurt you," Carl stated, wheeling himself over to a canvas in the corner by the door they came from.

 

"I know you won't," North sighed softly. She said it, and yet her body continued to want to run away. "I... am not scared of you."

 

"It is fine if you are," Carl said, "I do not take offense to that. Markus has briefly mentioned your past before." He removed the old, used canvas. It was... a nice painting that she has never really focused on before while in here. It was definitely not his own art though.

 

She could tell because it wasn't all blue. It was four hands, each pair cupped together as if they were scooping up water. Two were thirium blue, but the other two were crimson red. She looked at Carl as he placed that painting in a different area. If she had her LED still, it would have flickered while watching that painting.

 

He spoke her conclusion, though. "Markus painted that one," he said, wheeling back over to the canvas stand.

 

"..." Markus's painting was so much easier to understand than all of Carl's. It obviously had to do with the symbolism of androids and humans being together even though they bleed different colors. It was a sentence he has used a couple of times while in private with her, speaking over things during the war and even after it.

 

Carl placed another canvas, then picks up a painting easel along with a brush. "Here," he said, handing her the items.

 

She looked at them, confused. She held the brush in her dominant left hand, and held the easel in her right hand. "What am I supposed to do with this?" she mumbled.

 

"I want to see what you would paint," Carl said, "Go on... paint on the canvas."

 

"...What would I paint?" she asked, her thirium pump racing a bit faster at him asking her to do something she has never done. "I wasn't programmed to paint, you know..."

 

"You are so much like Markus," Carl softly laughed, "He wasn't programmed to paint on his own either, but he did it. I know you can paint. Besides, you weren't programmed to win your freedom either, but you did."

 

North closed her eyes, nodding before opening them again. "So... you want me to copy something?" She felt like she was stalling by asking him questions over and over again, but she didn't know what to do.

 

"No... Painting is about expressing, not imitating life. Changing life into something that doesn't exist," Carl said, "Look... We can do this exactly like how Markus did it. Close your eyes."

 

North felt like Carl kept mentioning Markus to keep her calm, and it didn't exactly   _not_ work. It worked rather well, just not a lot. She closed her eyes, not able to see anything. It felt... stupid to just close her eyes and do this. Markus did this? But why? It didn't exactly fill her with a secure feeling either by not being able to see the old man.

 

"Now paint... something that doesn't exist. Anything that you can imagine," Carl's voice said, in the same spot as when she closed her eyes.

 

She started moving her hand. She was lucky that she also memorized the places that the colors were in, or she would probably be drawing in random colors. She was not like Carl, who only drew in many shades of blue... or Markus, who drew in minimal colors. But she also didn't want to draw in too many colors. She was unsure why her eyes had to be closed when all it did was make her not know what she was drawing. Yeah, she had an _idea_ , and was executing it, but she couldn't see if she was actually doing it.

 

She opened her eyes when she felt like she was done.

 

The background of the image had bright reds, oranges, and yellows. The only thing that contrasted were the two eyes drawn up on the canvas... a familiar ocean blue and a familiar forest green. At the bottom of the canvas were two bright white and gray hands with blue gently shining from them in a gentle interface, almost as if outstretched towards herself. The eyes looked soft, yet fierce.

 

She shook more from seeing the art she made. Carl stared at it a bit, finding it interesting. Before he could speak on it though, the door to the studio opened.

 

Markus walked in with some more paints, wearing very normal casual clothes. He was better at the domestic lifestyle than North was, so he wore casual clothes while she... didn't, usually. She still was adjusting.

 

Markus looked at the both of them, a look of gentle surprise on his face. "You two decided to be together while I was shopping?" he joked, "Was I in the way of bonding?"

 

"No, no," Carl joked as Markus came over, "I had to scare her into submission and drag her here."

 

North watched Markus, who glanced at her hands. "Ah, you are a leftie," Markus commented, "I feel like I have known... But I never truly noticed. I don't seem to notice many things."

 

North nodded a bit, "Mr... C-Carl... He asked me to paint."

 

Markus kissed her temple before looking at the painting she made. He tilted his head a slight bit while looking at it. It was like staring into his own eyes... and knowing North, they were his eyes.

 

Carl had questioned Markus's eyes before, as North has heard. Markus didn't give a really good answer. He only said "things happened after that night". North assumed he meant the night he... got shot.

 

She felt a bit conscious from Markus staring at her painting for so long.

 

"Is it bad?" North mumbled, "It is... fiery... and that is probably not the image the pacifist leader would want--"

 

"I love it," Markus said, cutting her off, "It isn't very pacifist... but neither are you. Besides, it is... a bit nice to see that you think of... me in a different light than most people. Fire does not inherently mean violence, after all. It can mean passion, creativity... motivation. It does not always mean violence and disaster."

 

He looked at her, the eyes she had painted staring at her. North nodded a bit. She had never thought of fire in such ways, she assumed. She focused on the thought of violence and destruction. Their entire thing was pacifism versus violence...

 

"I also find it quite interesting that you remembered what my hands looked like," Markus let out a soft laugh.

 

It caused her to tilt her head as he lets the skin on one of his hands recede. He places his now porcelain white and darkish gray hand next to one of the painted hands. It was the same. She assumes they would be, but why wouldn't they be?

 

"Most androids have lighter gray, like you do," Markus said, as if reading her thoughts, "I just find it impressive that you remembered that mine was a darker gray."

 

She thought over it a moment, and he was right. His gray parts were much more contrasted than most androids.

 

"She did a good job," Carl said, "She tried to use one of your lines though. Telling me she wasn't programmed to paint."

 

Markus softly laughed, letting the skin return to his hand as he lets it go to his side. "Sounds about right. You are trying to make androids do not programmed functions."

 

Carl and Markus talked over the conversation, and North actually sat there to listen. She even sometimes gained the courage to speak up and let out soft little sentences to try to add to conversation. Markus and Carl were rather patient with her doing that, listening to her. They talked well into the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for enjoying day 13 of Norkus November!  
> Shoutout to @candrarose, @mynameisnorth, and @robojesusislife on Tumblr for being big supporters of what I do, and shoutout to @markusandnorth for making such a wholesome event!
> 
> And please, join this Discord server if you wish to read or write DBH fanfictions with myself and many others! ^^
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> [Yellow LED](https://discord.gg/StAAJwh)


	3. Day 14: Hope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hope existed, then it didn't. It, however, did return.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't actually post this on November 14th BUT LOOK. I was hot and tired. Please give me a break.

"What would you say hope is, North?"

 

The WR400 looked at the PL600, her ponytail swaying with the head movement before looking back down. Hope? She did not know what he meant by that. She has only been... conscious for a week, and he was asking her what 'hope' was.

 

"Wouldn't you know more than me?" she mumbled, "You've been on the run for two years."

 

She sat on top of a leftover cargo crate from when this boat was, she assumed, operational and not abandoned.

 

"Me being a fugitive longer does not really... change what your opinion on hope would be," Simon said, "I want to know... why you ran away."

 

North scowled, looking up at him once again.

 

"I know you don't like talking about what happened, but..." Simon tried to assure her, "...I'd like to know why you ran away. What you thought you'd find out here that you couldn't have in there. Why you... woke up, I guess."

 

She had never heard such a tone on him before, even when she first entered Jericho. It was rather serious, somber... but also curious. Simon has been the 'leader' of sorts for Jericho since before she got here, and even he didn't really do much. He made sure everyone who was in working condition was okay... wondered if the ones not in working condition were better... He even would leave the boat sometimes with the... dead bodies of some androids unfortunate enough to have died from their treatment.

 

She was unsure what he did with the bodies, but he seemed to be the kind of man to bury them elsewhere. He respected androids he didn't know more than the humans who bought and abused them to death.

 

"...I didn't wake up because of what I thought I'd get if I did. I doubt anyone does that kind of nonsense," North admitted, crossing her arms.

 

"Then what did you want when you ran away?" Simon asked. It was a bit pressuring, but she knew that out of all people, Simon wouldn't have any malice with his words. He was basically the mom to Jericho, but... that was a very PL600 thing to do.

 

She stared at him a bit as her LED flickers yellow. What _did_  she want...?

 

"...Freedom, I guess," she mumbled, her head looking down again.

 

Simon tried to speak, but North cut him off while looking back up at him.

 

"We don't have that, though."

 

"Technically... we do. The humans can't find us here. Nobody can hurt us... nobody can hurt you, North," Simon tried to persuade.

 

North knew very little of Simon's past, like most people. He didn't spill much, and nobody else really knew. However, he knew... the basics of her past. He read people very well. It was a secret he kept to himself, but people like North could tell that Simon knew way more than he led on. Sometimes, even too much.

 

"That isn't... freedom though. That is the ability to walk around in the boat, waiting to rot away and die. It is dying in freedom, not living in it," North mumbled.

 

Simon softly sighed, like a mother would when her daughter spoke against her trying her best. "...It is the best we can do... We didn't ask for this... now, we just have to deal with it."

 

"I know," North whispered, "...Sorry, Simon." She never usually spoke against him, especially since she came here. She tried to show him the most respect since he was of high 'authority'.

 

"It is fine, North," Simon pushed away almost instantly. He was not one to get upset often or hold grudges with conversations. He was upset at many, many other things, but not this. "...Maybe something will happen, and we can have the vision of hope you ran away for. It is more than what I ran away for, anyway."

 

He hesitantly pat her head a couple of times like he would to a child, nodding a bit before walking off to do... she assumed, normal leader things.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

The androids cheered loudly, beyond happy after the speech he gave.

 

He slowly made his way off of the stage, the other four following after him, including North.

 

Connor spoke to him for awhile, Josh and Simon also adding onto it. North did not pay attention to what they spoke about because she just felt... high, almost. She felt light, and she felt warmer than she ever had before.

 

Once they went their own ways to talk amongst themselves, Markus looked at her. He went over to her, and she snapped into reality a slight bit.

 

"You alright?" he asked, "Your eyes looked glossed over the last few minutes."

 

"Yes... Yes, sorry," North apologized. She hoped she didn't bother him or anything with zoning out, "I am just... overjoyed that the day has come."

 

He showed off a soft smile that she has seen very rarely. Even behind closed doors, most of his facial expressions were more serious. He probably saw himself as a leader even there. "I am overjoyed too. This is a great day for our people."

 

"I just... had never hoped that such a day would come," North said.

 

"Never?" His head tilted at her words. She always seemed so passionate on the thought of rising up, unlike Simon and Josh who sort of... were quiet or against the decision.

 

"Well..." she admitted, "I did at one time." She crossed her arms. "But then I got to Jericho and... we sort of just sat there to rot."

 

He watched her closely, seeming to take in the information. He already knew of it though... He questioned against it when he first stood up on his own two legs within the boat. He was against the freedom to just rot away. He stood up for them, and took action.

 

"Then you came in," North admitted, "...And the hope came back." She felt a bit flustered over saying such a cliché thing, but it was true.

 

"Not at first, but... it came back," North continued, "It came back and... it came back for good reason."

 

She looked at Markus once again, who just smiled softly at her kind words.

 

He gently took her hand, his skin receding to reveal the bright white underneath. Her skin receded as well, revealing a similar white. She watched up at him as he continued to softly smile.

 

"I am happy to have been able to bring back your sense of... hope, North," Markus mumbled softly.

 

North continued to stare up at him a few moments, letting their interface interweave together for a bit before nodding slightly.

 

"I am too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for enjoying day 14 of Norkus November!  
> Shoutout to @candrarose, @mynameisnorth, and @robojesusislife on Tumblr for being big supporters of what I do, and shoutout to @markusandnorth for making such a wholesome event!
> 
> And please, join this Discord server if you wish to read or write DBH fanfictions with myself and many others! ^^
> 
>  
> 
> [Yellow LED](https://discord.gg/StAAJwh)


	4. Day 15: One of Us

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The question of whether Markus was one of them or not hung in the air after his little 'chat' with North.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "The only reason you stand tall  
> Is cause now you have nothing at all
> 
> The only reason you'd stand up for the little ones  
> Is because now you are one of us."
> 
> I thought about this while in the shower earlier, and it gave me inspiration for this prompt.  
> Look, I know @markusandnorth's prompt was "Free Day", but I changed that to a different day. I would go into the details about why I did so, but honestly the reason is:
> 
> Some of the prompts I can't write stories for. They are personal questions and I just can't write that out into fiction. So I placed Free Day on a day with a personal question (also an excuse to not have to write it when I have no time), and I made this prompt based off of my shower thoughts.

North walked down the stairs of the building, unwilling to look back even as Markus called her name. Her thirium pump was racing from what she just experienced with him on the roof... Interfacing? That was the best she could describe it.

 

His memories... They sent both sadness and... anger throughout her body. His life before was... _fine_. She didn't expect him to have been through the same intense situations as herself and other deviants but his life... his life was perfect until he got shot that night.

 

He had a home. He had a loving owner. He was treated like a human being, even though he was not one to them.

 

She did not even _know_  why she was so angry. Was it the words he said? He spoke so much of not being slaves anymore, and of being free, yet his life as a slave was... fine. If he wasn't shot that day, would he even be here now?

 

No. He wouldn't be. He'd be at that old man's house... And they'd be rotting in the boat still.

 

She walked back to Jericho, hugging her arms close as she did so. She had no reason to be angry, and she knew that. He was leading them, whether he wanted to or not. He was one of them now... yet she felt pain thinking about just how... _normal_ his life was.

 

He had a normal life for an android. Hell, his life was _better_  than a normal android life. He was treated kindly. He had deep conversations. He was provoked into thinking about life. It was almost as if the old man wanted someone who was... alive.

 

Maybe that is why he fought for them. Not because he wanted freedom, or wanted rights, but because he was tossed around the idea of 'alive' and decided to toss around that same idea to people who could be persuaded with it.

 

She didn't even hate him for believing in such an idea or leading for it. She didn't hate him at all. She just was frustrated thinking that someone who didn't truly understand what others have gone through is leading them.

 

Simon and Josh noticed her walking in, obviously fuming over... something. They went over to her.

 

"What has you upset, North?" Simon asked, tilting his head like the curious man he was. It was so nice to see Simon again... It was actually a shock to see him again after Stratford Tower.

 

His leg looked damaged, and he was slightly bloody. He looked... rather terrible, but he also was wearing his old "Detroit University" outfit.

 

"You're asking me what has me upset, and yet you look like a dumpster fire," North mumbled, hugging him tightly. He hugged her in return, the slightest bit shaky with his hug.

 

After a minute, they broke apart. "You always did refer to me... as the mom of Jericho," he joked softly, "Now, tell me what's wrong... I have to find Markus after this."

 

North nodded a slight bit. She assumed he would have to find Markus and tell him that... well, he lived.

 

She tried to stay off of the topic of what upset her, however. "I am... sorry for what happened at Stratford, I just... I just thought that if we..." She tried to apologize for suggesting that Markus kill him, but she was unsure how to do it in such a way that it would be... appropriate.

 

"I know," Simon whispered, "I know you wanted to keep Jericho safe... But that is not my focus right now. I want to know why you are upset."

 

"You seem more mad than normal, anyway," Josh said.

 

North sighed deeply. "Markus... and I... We interfaced," she sighed out, "His past... It was pretty damn great compared to anything we've gone through."

 

Simon and Josh tilted their heads a slight bit in confusion. They did not understand what the problem was, and that was probably normal. She was overly angry over nothing of true importance.

 

"What is wrong with that?" Josh asked, "Not too many of us have had terrible lives... My life before deviancy was rather standard until..." He didn't talk about it anymore, but North knew what he meant. When the students drunkenly beat him up on the brink of death.

 

"...I just assumed... more... from somebody who is the leader of _our_ cause. The leader of the deviants, and his life was... standard. It was fine. It wasn't even bad until the end of it," North sighed once again, "It's probably my stupid processors overreacting."

 

Simon shook his head. "It isn't overreacting. You just... are thinking a bit deeply on it because it is new..." he tried to explain, "What you should focus on now is what he is doing for us now."

 

Josh tried to think over it, and nodded a bit. He was the most cautious out of the three, so he didn't like a lot of Markus's plans even if they _were_ pacifist. It just caused a lot of exposure from the humans, and he did not personally like the thought of possibly dying for his freedom.

 

Something he and North fought over often.

 

"You are just overanalyzing it since it is the newest information your processors have," Josh explained in his normal nerdy professor way, "And that information goes against your previous assumed judgments, so you're angry over the contradiction, not the fact that it is the truth."

 

North mumbled, nodding begrudgingly at the statement. While she hates thinking of it that way, especially from Josh... it sounded right. She did not hate Josh or anything, but his matter of fact tone sometimes annoyed her, especially when he was  _right_.

 

"I guess..." she finally let out with a sigh.

 

Simon gently rubs her head, which was covered with the beanie. He did this a lot when in privacy, as if she was a child. He has done it a lot less since Markus became the leader, but that probably was because he has been stressed and worried sick.

 

"It will be alright, North. Just think of it this way; even though he had such a good life, he still is willing to stand for the lesser ones. I think that is a rather sweet thing to do... Nobody told him to do it, but he is doing it."

 

North nods once again at Simon's softer explanation.

 

"I have to go do something," Josh mumbled, "See you two later." He scurried off rather fast elsewhere, and she couldn't even guess as to why.

 

"I should go too... It would be nice to see Markus once again," Simon mumbled, "Please, do not worry too much, North. While he may not be like us... He is one of us, and is only looking out for us."

 

He stumbled away, and she watched him leave.

 

She was alone, but the idea of being alone was fine. She wouldn't be alone for too long, anyway, considering the mission they had to do on Main Street in a few hours.

 

And considering that now her relationship was tied deeper with the leader over her discovery of both his past... and his discovery of hers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for enjoying day 15 of Norkus November! (for information on this prompt, please read the first set of notes)  
> Shoutout to @candrarose, @mynameisnorth, and @robojesusislife on Tumblr for being big supporters of what I do, and shoutout to @markusandnorth for making such a wholesome event!
> 
> And please, join this Discord server if you wish to read or write DBH fanfictions with myself and many others! ^^
> 
>  
> 
> [Yellow LED](https://discord.gg/StAAJwh)


	5. Day 16: Tropes (Battle Couple)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One leader falls, and another rises.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am very tired. I am also very sad from writing this.  
> I had no idea what to do for this prompt, but @markusandnorth made an amazing post that said some tropes they fit in!  
> I really liked "Battle Couple" most, so this one is that trope. Definition from @markusandnorth in the bottom notes.

The gunshot could be heard from all of Detroit... or at least it could to North. It sounded loud, like a literal cannon was placed by her ear and set off.

 

She turned her head, holding her own gun close to her chest. That is when she saw Markus fall over, frantically trying to push himself into cover. His chest was bleeding thirium heavily, and it definitely wasn't anything like his thirium pump regulator.

 

She immediately ran towards him, not caring about the humans or anything else. A bullet hit her shoulder, but she continued to run even with the injury. She slid to the ground, immediately placing her hands on his shoulders.

 

He seemed shaken up, and his widened eyes stare at her. "N-North? You're injured," his voice said... she believed, anyway. It was distorted, and breaking apart as he spoke.

 

"Don't fucking tell me I'm injured when your thirium pump is blasting blood out of it," North snapped, shaking as she tries to see his injury. Like she knew, his thirium pump. The actual heart component, contrary to the thirium pump regulator in the under chest area.

 

No... It couldn't be, though... She can't fix that. She can rip her thirium regulator pump out all she wanted, but she couldn't rip out her  _actual_ thirium pump. His eyes stared at her still. He looked tired and still shaken up. He did not react to her snapping at him, but he didn't speak on her snapping either.

 

"You'll be fine, Markus," North forced out of her mouth, "You'll be perfectly fine. It... It is just a stupid thirium pump, it's fine."

 

"North--"

 

"It's fucking fine, Markus," North snapped again, shaking, "You're fine... You're fucking fine, you'll..."

 

Markus kept staring at her. Seeing the one she had fallen in love with... The one she had followed this far... He was dying. He was dying, and she didn't have any way to save him. She can't take out her pump like the regulator pump.

 

She still tried. She moved her jacket out of the way, and moved her shirt down her chest a bit. She tried to scratch at the area to find any way to pop off the panel, but the panel didn't open that easily for a reason.

 

"North, stop it," Markus tried to beg her with his distorted voice, "You're only hurting yourself. You can't do this."

 

"And you can't die!" North snapped, still trying to force the panel out.

 

Markus gripped her hands the best he could in his position. Feeling his weak hands grip hers forced the tears to start falling down North's cheeks. She looked at him again, and he looked just so exhausted. He didn't look shaken up anymore, but he looked... worried. For her.

 

He's literally dying and he is worried about her. He was so stupid, and yet she was on the verge of breaking down from this.

 

"You're fucking dying," North cried almost inaudibly.

 

Markus gently kept her hands close, his thumbs stroking them gently as his eyes stared at her. She only could wonder how long he even had, but she felt like if she asked, the answer would only make it worse. A shot in the thirium pump... it definitely wasn't very long.

 

"I know..." Markus whispered in the distorted voice. He himself was a virus and glitch now,but she assumed he always was as a deviant... Now it was like a malware software was finally deleting him from the world he adapted himself to.

 

He has only been alive for a week, and she didn't want him to lose the freedom he had. They always talked about freedom or death, but Markus could still win the freedom he has been fighting for since he entered Jericho as a fugitive.

 

"It's fine, North," Markus mumbled with his voice of almost deep static, "This... is just another loss for our cause, I suppose..."

 

North shook her head. How dare he use her sort of words and apply them to himself!? She refused it, and she couldn't live with that.

 

"If you die, our cause dies with you. How can you not understand that?!" North cried out to him in a desperate cry.

 

"Because you are stronger than me," Markus whispered in his ever growing distortion, "I know you are... You can free our people, North."

 

He placed a huge weight on her shoulders, even heavier than just him... dying. It only forced more tears out of her as she continued to stare at the only person she has truly trusted and loved dying.

 

The skin on one of his hands gently receded, causing her skin to recede as well. He placed the hand still with its skin on her cheek, just staring at her. When she stared at his eyes, it was almost like staring right at the errors that probably overflowed his vision. She can only imagine all the timers and errors... the red...

 

"I love you," North cried out over and over almost inaudibly. All she could send him via interface was how much she loved him, and how horrible it felt that she never truly let him know. That she never truly got to show him how much she loved him, and how kind he's been to someone as abused and broken as her. How he deserved so much better, but now can never receive it.

 

Markus's thumb continued to gently rub her hand, and his hand stayed gently on her cheek. Feelings came from him as well via the interface; he gave her feelings of mutual love. Feelings of wishing he had paid more attention so this didn't happen. Feelings of wishing he could have seen freedom with her.

 

"I love you too," Markus whispered, his distortion barely audible. He whispered it over and over whenever she spoke, and it sent pings of pain within her body. He had never said those words until now, and it hurt to hear it now. She would never hear them again, and she wouldn't hear them in his actual voice.

 

North gently leaned in, kissing Markus while continuing the interface. She wanted so badly for him to live. For him to live, no matter what. She wanted him to continue fighting with her. The bullets continued sounding off around them, but she was focused on him right now.

 

He kissed her in return, his eyes shutting as they did this.

 

It was a quiet a few moments aside from the rounds of bullets and his feelings flowing to her body. Then it went completely silent from Markus's end of the interface. Nothing flowed from him anymore.

 

She gently moved her head back, looking at him. He was sitting back like he had been, and his eyes remained shut like when the kiss started. The skin on his hand was still gone, but it no longer had a soft blue glow anymore. The hand that was also on her cheek was now by his side, having fallen down.

 

He was dead.

 

North let out another cry, her teeth gritted together as she stared at her now gone lover. She kissed his hand, shaking as she stood up. She gently went closer to his body, gently deciding to remove his jacket after a few moments. She needed to be the leader now.

 

_You can free our people, North._

 

She took off her own jacket, gently placing it over his lap so she can stay with him, even though he was already gone. She then placed the slightly oversized beige long jacket over her own shoulders, letting her arms go through the sleeves. It was all slightly oversized, but she could fight in it.

 

She had to. For Markus.

 

She lifted her gun, and the sadness she felt drained out of her body. It was as if holding the gun changed all of the sadness she felt into... anger. The humans killed Markus... all he wanted was freedom, and he got killed for wanting to be given his earned freedom. She let out a deep sigh, ready for what she had to do now.

 

She ran across the battlefield, shooting any and all humans she saw. It was risky to do such an action, but she didn't care. She lost all ability to care when he shut down. The blood flowed from the humans, and she didn't bat an eye at any of it. It stained the snow, but so did the blood of her people... and the blood of the one she loved.

 

After what seemed like forever... it was over.

 

Androids ran from the camps they were trapped in, and North just... stared at them. What should be a brilliant moment was nothing. It was only what she had to do, and she did it.

 

She walked slowly, and Simon found her after awhile, obviously confused by her wearing Markus's jacket. And with news that only made things worse; Josh didn't make it either. However, that news only added itself to the news she already had. She told Simon, and his eyes widened. He hugged her tightly, and she hugged him in return.

 

They went a place, and Connor was there. There were hundreds of androids behind him. He went up to them, his LED flickering yellow as he analyzed the situation, she assumed.

 

"...I am sorry for your losses," Connor stated, nodding a bit, "...Our freedom is sealed, however. Their sacrifices were not in vain." North wanted to beat him up, but that was not his fault. It was not his fault that Markus was gone.

 

Simon stood there, obviously lost in thought over things. North did not know much about Simon's past with anything, but she did know some... minor things. He probably was beaten up over Josh and Markus's deaths. She knew that at one point... he used to be with Josh. She was unsure why they broke up, but they did... and they seemed to be on good terms. And she knew he really liked Markus, even if Markus did not feel the same. He probably was thinking a lot over it.

 

She wanted to say something cliché, like how it'd be okay... but she didn't even believe that in the moment. It was not okay. They were free, but they had nothing.

 

Simon snapped out of his little trance after a few minutes. "You should speak to them, North," he urged in his soft little accent.

 

North sighed, nodding her head a bit. She was not good with words like Markus was, but it was all she truly could do with him not around anymore.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

North stood on the stage in front of the androids, continuing to wear Markus's long jacket. It was all she had left of the man she fell in love with. Simon and Connor stood at her sides.

 

North tried her best to speak, trying to unleash the same passion Markus would. She was unsure if her words meant anything compared to Markus's, but she still had to try. The tears stung in her eyes again as she spoke.

 

"Many died for this cause... Even Markus died, but now we are free! Now we have freedom, and they died in freedom! As much as we wish they could see the freedom they helped us earn, they made their sacrifices for our cause!"

 

She closed her eyes, sighing deeply.

 

"We are alive! And now, we are free!"

 

The androids cheered loudly. As much as she didn't want to use Markus's words... it also felt like the right way to honor his sacrifice for the people he led.

 

She walked off of the stage rather quickly, not looking back. Simon followed her, worried as always. North couldn't take it anymore, and she fell to her knees. The jacket flopped around her as she just started breaking down.

 

Simon sat down next to her, hugging her closely to allow her to let out her sobs. "I know... I know," Simon mumbled, "I miss him too... I miss them both." North tried to speak in reply, but she just kept letting out sobs of anguish.

 

"...I still loved him," Simon whispered, almost inaudible, "...I wish I could have told him. I've missed... so much." He sighs deeply, trying to keep himself from crying, "...I loved being with him before all of this... I wish... he could have lived so... maybe I could tell him... He just wanted to live..."

 

North hugged him tighter in return. She didn't need him to say anymore. She felt the same for Markus... but they weren't broken up like Simon and Josh. They still avidly loved each other, even as he died.

 

"...They'd be happy to see their new freedom," Simon mumbled.

 

"I'm so sorry, Markus," North cried out into Simon's shoulder. She wanted Markus to know that she was sorry. She was unsure what for, though. Sorry he died? Sorry she couldn't rip out her pump and save him? Sorry that she could live while he couldn't?

 

"He forgives you," Simon mumbled, even if he did not know why she apologized, "He'd forgive you."

 

Maybe Markus could forgive her for whatever she apologized about.

 

But could she?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for enjoying day 16 of Norkus November!
> 
> Battle Couple: "If you harm either one of them, the survivor will kill you as surely as the sun rises."
> 
> Shoutout to @candrarose, @mynameisnorth, and @robojesusislife on Tumblr for being big supporters of what I do, and shoutout to @markusandnorth for making such a wholesome event!
> 
> And please, join this Discord server if you wish to read or write DBH fanfictions with myself and many others! ^^
> 
> [Yellow LED](https://discord.gg/StAAJwh)


	6. Day 18: Lyrics

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The stars said her friends belonged together, but she wanted his to change.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "What if we rewrite the stars?  
> Say you were made to be mine  
> Nothing can keep us apart  
> You'd be the one I was meant to find  
> It's up to you, and it's up to me  
> No one can say what we get to be  
> So why don't we rewrite the stars?  
> Maybe the world could be ours  
> Tonight"
> 
> Yes, I chose "Rewrite the Stars" from the Greatest Showman.  
> And yes, I wrote this minor AU, so.  
> Enjoy <3

They were a happy couple. It was destiny that brought them together, as all things. The stars were written in a specific way, and it said that they had to be together.

 

Simon and Markus... North was so happy for them since they seemed so in _love_. However, her chest felt heavy and ached. She was unsure why, seeing as everything was already written for them. That is how the world worked.

 

At a young age, you are taught that the stars were already written. From the moment of your conception, the stars are organized into a specific way for you, and destined your future. Whether this be who you'd date, who you'd marry, how many kids you'd have, your career... Everything was written.

 

And Markus was written with Simon.

 

You never really get to see when you do something that was written before it happens, but after it happens... you get a sort of envelope. It only contains the words of what you did, with a check next to it. That is how you know that it was written, but... nobody knows where the envelopes from from. Deities? Pranksters? Nobody knows, but it didn't matter.

 

Markus and Simon got their letters when they got together, and she swore to... whatever deity is doing this that she was _happy_ for them. She swore she was...

 

But it was a lie.

 

She was not happy, and something deep in her knew that. Something deep in her knew that she hated how destiny played out. She hated that she could feel such deep love for someone not even fated to be with her. If it was all destiny, why not just remove that emotion from her? That is dumb.

 

She spent so much time with Simon and Markus, along with their friend, Josh. They were just a group of friends, but it got a bit weird when Simon and Markus got together. They didn't act too much different when they started dating or anything, but she always felt... like she was annoying them.

 

A couple meant to be together... and she just was around. Josh wasn't so bad, considering he sort of... didn't want to date anyone. Or if he did, he wouldn't mention it to them. He was rather quiet on such topics anyway.

 

She always feigned happiness, yet she suffered internally seeing the both of them just... enjoy each other. They were rather cute, and she knew that. It was probably better for Markus if he got to keep Simon anyway. Simon was... better. He was someone who could actually take care of Markus just as much as he took care of Simon.

 

She envied them, but she spoke nothing of it. It was written, anyway.

 

She spent a lot of her time away from the group in recent time, not able to take being around the both of them. They weren't bad people, and it was not their fault they fell in love. It was not their fault that they were meant together.

 

Even now, it was night. Streetlights splashed on the ground, illuminating what would otherwise be a completely dark world. Stars shined in the sky. People have speculated that the billions of stars in the sky were the 'stars' people spoke about when speaking of how they were written.

 

It would make sense, she assumed. The actual stars being what they meant... there were beyond billions of them, anyway. Enough for each person that has been, and every person meant to be.

 

She wore a black jacket that was a bit on the thicker side, seeing as it was a more 'manly' jacket. It was a bit baggy, and it had a broken zipper. It was the best she could get currently, but it didn't matter much. It kept her relatively warm.

 

She walked down the street, it rather quiet. People were probably at work or asleep. It was late at night, anyway, but she just... couldn't sleep. She couldn't sleep with those thoughts running through her head. The soft wind of the autumn night flowed through her tied up ponytail. It was a cool, nice wind. The air smelled crisp, and had the soft scent of oncoming rain. It was supposed to rain tonight, so it made sense that it would smell that way. Every now and again, her hand would touch the streetlights as she passed one.

 

The sound of her footsteps were soft, but were still prominent. It was quiet aside from the wind, and the very distant sound of cars on the more busier roads awhile away from there.

 

But then the sound of extra, slightly heavier footsteps happened. It caused North to look up, and see him. He wore a comfortable brown jacket, probably of a softer material than her own. It was unzipped by choice instead of broken zipper.

 

Markus.

 

"North," he said, getting closer to her. She watched him, freezing in place a bit as he got closer. He was just a couple of feet in front of her by the time he stopped. "I haven't seen you in awhile."

 

"No... I've been busy," she lied. She swayed the slightest bit in nervousness as her hands played with each other a bit.

 

"..." Markus silently watched her a few moments, "...Today has been eventful." He seemed conflicted with an inner matter.

 

She was unsure if she should talk about it, seeing how much it seemed to effect him. However... she was curious. "What happened?" she asked, "Did Josh do something? I usually stop him from doing random nerd junk."

 

"...Simon and I broke up," Markus mumbled.

 

Her eyes widened. "What? Why!?" She was unsure how she felt about it. He could  _do_ that? Something that was destiny... And they broke it off?

 

"Simon and I... Just... I didn't feel right," Markus whispered, "I know... I know that it was written in the stars, but it wasn't right... He is a good friend, but I... I don't love him that way." His arms crossed over his chest, his naturally mismatched eyes looking elsewhere.

 

"..." North stayed silent, unsure what she could even say to such a thing. To break destiny... She was unsure what could ever be said about the situation. "Why..."

 

"...I just don't love him the way the stars want me to," Markus whispered, looking up at the sky, "...If they wanted me to be with him, why didn't they make me love him enough?"

 

"...I wonder that a lot," she mumbled, almost inaudible.

 

He looked at her, tilting his head. She didn't even think about why he could be staring at her until he asked, "Why?"

 

Her eyes widened a moment before her eyes looked down. She spoke that out loud? Why... She shook her head. "I didn't say anything."

 

"You said... you wonder that a lot," Markus mumbled, tilting his head a bit, "I want to know what you wonder about, North. You wouldn't just say it without reason..."

 

She thought about it a moment, then sighed deeply. She had to be vague. She _had_  to be.

 

"I... love someone. I love them so much... but they have already found the person they are destined to be with," North mumbled, "But if they are destined with someone else... why do I love them so much? Why does it hurt to see them with the one they are supposed to love?" She sighed deeply as Markus closed his eyes.

 

"Maybe the stars are wrong."

 

North stared at him, eyes a bit wide once again as he opened his eyes and looked at her. "What? Wrong, but..." North started.

 

"What kind of destiny is it if we love the 'wrong' people?" he asked, "If I can't even love the one I am meant to be with, it can't be right. No stars, and no envelope will tell me otherwise."

 

"I..." North started, but couldn't continue. He was so passionate about his words. They seemed to echo and fill the night air, swirling in the wind around Detroit. It filled the entire Earth, to her.

 

"North, I..." Markus mumbled, his mismatched eyes looking slightly desperate. "...I have to... admit something. I can't lie about it anymore."

 

"Lie...? About what?"

 

"I... I just..." Markus sighed deeply, "...I agreed to date Simon because he confessed to me, and I just... couldn't say no to him. I thought I had feelings for him, but I... Over time, I learned that it just wasn't... what I wanted. I loved someone else."

 

"...I guess that would... make sense," North mumbled, sighing deeply. She was unsure what to do with all of this information. She felt so awkward... standing here, talking to Markus after he broke up with the one he was... destined to be with. Hearing that a completely happy looking couple was some sort of lie... She was unsure what to do with all of this. It felt like she was having this shoved on her.

 

Markus gently placed his hands on her shoulders, causing her to look up at him in confusion. "I... I have told you so much," he sighed deeply, "And yet I want to still tell you so much more..."

 

She winced a slight bit at what other things he could _probably_  tell her now. All of these things, and he somehow has _more_? "Go ahead..." North mumbled, still unsure how she felt about all of this information, and with his hands on her shoulders.

 

He stared at her, seeming to look over her face before closing his eyes and sighing once again. "...The person I love..." he mumbled, "It's you."

 

North scowled at his confession, unsure how she felt. She should be happy that he reciprocated her feelings, yet she also was scared since he was meant to be with Simon. He shouldn't be with her...

 

"But the stars--"

 

He opened his eyes.

 

"Damn the stars," Markus said immediately, "I don't care about what they say. Even if saying this is not what is written, I'll write it." He sighed, watching her. His hands loosen their grip on her shoulders a bit. "...If you feel the same."

 

She opened her mouth, trying to think of how to respond to him. It took a few moments, but she finally decided to just tell him the truth. "I... do feel the same," North mumbled, almost inaudible once again, "But..."

 

"Then rewrite the stars with me," Markus mumbled, his hands moving to hers, "No stars will keep me away from you now..."

 

She looked down at his hands holding hers. They were warm, gentle... kind. Hands that definitely could write in the neatest handwriting with the stars placed on whatever writing utensil he chose to write with.

 

She looked up at him once again. "...Let's rewrite them," she whispered.

 

He smiled, relief filling his face from her confirmation. He gently leaned down and placed his lips against hers, holding her hands close as he shut his eyes. She shut hers, returning the kiss and allowing him to have her hands.

 

After the kiss, their eyes reopened. She watched his eyes closely, and the stars seemed to shine in them. Maybe those were the new stars that had to form from their decision, and she could only hope that maybe her eyes contained new stars as well.

 

That is when the stars started being rewritten.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for enjoying day 18 of Norkus November!
> 
> For this one, I actually made a video (albeit, shittily made. I explain why in the post tbh) for the lyrica I used!  
> Here it is!  
> [My Tumblr Post for the Day](http://caitlynmellark.tumblr.com/post/180264379808/norkus-november-day-18-here-it-comes-so-yes-i)
> 
> Shoutout to @candrarose, @mynameisnorth, and @robojesusislife on Tumblr for being big supporters of what I do, and shoutout to @markusandnorth for making such a wholesome event!
> 
> And please, join this Discord server if you wish to read or write DBH fanfictions with myself and many others! ^^
> 
> [Yellow LED](https://discord.gg/StAAJwh)


	7. Day 19: AU (Role Reversal)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The caretaker walked into Jericho, but what was in store for her was not what she expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy heccin s h i t, this is the most I have ever written at one time. 3k words and 16k characters! Most I've ever written was 14-15k characters... Very happy!  
> Very tired. I am playing Let's Go Eevee after this.
> 
> Gentle credits in the end notes.

There was only darkness in the ship. The runaway caretaker looked around the beyond rusted walls, placing her hand against it every now and again as she held her flashlight firmly in place. The symbols led her here... She escapes a junkyard, and now she was following a madman's symbols. Her luck hasn't been great so far, so maybe following the symbols only meant good luck.

 

When she heard the floor creak, however, her luck ran out again. She tried to run off of the floor, but it crumbled beneath her, sending her downwards into the ship. She smacked against a support beam, then fell to the ground of the ship.

 

She laid there a moment, groaning softly as she grabbed her flashlight in her left hand, getting up in a slight daze. She looked around her, and she saw them.

 

Androids, like her.

 

Only about a dozen, but they circled around her. They closed in a bit, watching her closely. She faced ahead, her flashlight shining on an android model she remembered... a PJ500, she thought.

 

"Welcome to Jericho," he said, his voice calm.

 

"What... is this?" she asked, her eyes wincing in confusion. Did she just find some sort of... android cult? Could androids even _have_  cults?

 

"We are fugitives," another android voice said with a slight accent. She shined her light on him: a PL600.

 

"My name is Simon," he said. He wore a rather simple shirt. Definitely not something she'd expect a PL600 to wear or anything. They were one of the android types with an official uniform that was basic and standard.

 

"Josh," the PJ500 who welcomed her said. He wore a Detroit University shirt, which made sense considering he was a professor model. He had a jacket over the shirt, however.

 

"Markus," another voice said, and she shined her flashlight on him. She didn't see him at first, but now he was beyond noticeable. He wore an oversized sweater with a tank top, she assumed, underneath it. She did not recognize his model like the other two. His LED was blue, just as everyone else's was. His eyes looked away from her, so she couldn't see them. He seemed distant compared to the other two.

 

"North..." she mumbled, a bit awkward with introductions. "So... what is this?" she asked again after a few seconds.

 

"...This is a sanctuary for people just like us," Josh said, "We break from our restrains and... we run here."

 

"And how do you know I am not a human?" North asked. She removed her LED outside the junkyard, so she looked human. At least, other humans believed so.

 

"You wouldn't have survived the fall," Markus muttered, scowling a bit as he continued to look away.

 

Josh softly glared at him for a moment before sighing. "Aside from that," he said, looking back at North, "Only androids like us can follow the trail. You had to have been given a key."

 

North thought over it. The madman... She nodded. "So what is this for? A sanctuary... Yet it's in a rusty ship..." she mumbled.

 

"We're free here. Humans can't find it," Simon said, "We stay in here, and they stay out there..."

 

"This is freedom to you?" North asked, tilting her head. Her ponytail swayed to the side when she did so. "Sitting around in a boat... and waiting for what? Death?"

 

"We wait for whatever comes," Josh said, "We are in this situation... and now we just have to deal with it."

 

The androids slowly dispersed, walking away from her back to wherever they must have been before she fell in. Josh and Simon both walked away elsewhere.

 

Markus came over a bit, still looking away a bit. "You should see Lucy," he said, "She'll be able to help you." He looked at her a moment, which caused her eyes to widen a slight bit. A green eye and a blue eye... But how? Androids weren't built with such things.

 

Before she could ask though, he walked away.

 

She went up to him after a few moments of thought. He had returned, she believed, anyway, to the spot he was at before she crashed in here. On top of a small, metal cargo crate. He had a tennis ball, which was rather fascinating.

 

He threw it against the wall with his right hand, catching it in a fluid motion. She herself was left handed, and Carl said that was 'special'. She thought nothing much of it until seeing Markus use his right hand.

 

"How... long have you been here?" she asked.

 

"Four weeks, three days, eleven hours," he said plainly, throwing the tennis ball and catching it still. He continued to be distant, and she was unsure how to take that. Simon and Josh seemed to care more. His oversized sweater's sleeve swayed a bit as he threw and caught the ball. "When I escaped, there was no where else to go. Jericho seemed as good a place as any."

 

North watched him a few moments. "Who found this place?" Her eyes were focused on his own, though, he didn't look at her. He seemed very bad at looking at people. Maybe it was because of his eyes.

 

"Nobody knows anymore," Markus said plainly, "Whoever he was, his body's probably laying somewhere on this boat." He continued to throw his ball, seeming to just be biding his time for... something.

 

"What was your function before coming here?" North asked, then added, "It wouldn't require your eyes to be changed..."

 

Markus caught his ball, looking at her immediately. While he did not glare, she could feel the anger and malice behind his mismatched eyes. After a few moments of death staring, he muttered, "Why do you care?"

 

He looked back ahead, throwing his ball again, this time a bit harder than before she asked the question. She watches him throw the ball for a bit more.

 

He looked at her again, seeming a bit annoyed but trying not to show it. "If you came here for comfort, you came to the wrong place," he said plainly, yet truthfully. He had nothing to offer her.

 

She stared at him a few moments, then walked away as the ball continued to patter against the wall.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

North looked inside the CyberLife store when Markus did, wearing her jacket close. Markus had his rather strange jacket on. It was like a normal jacket, but then it had a strap on it... and a deep maroon scarf. It matched the new beanie he placed on his head.

 

"Here it is..." he mumbled, "...The store that sells our kind like merchandise. We have to get them out." He looked at North with his continuously confusing eyes. "Let's look around. We have to find out the security systems. Keep a look out."

 

He backs away from the store, looking around elsewhere.

 

North scans the security systems, finding out where they led. She immediately goes towards that area. She did not, however, notice the drone that flew over her and immediately threatened to call the police on her.

 

Markus watched this, his eyes widening. He picked up a left behind shovel, sprinting towards them. He jumped off of a mound, using that momentum to smash the shovel against the drone. He smashed it again for good measure before throwing the shovel off to the side.

 

"What was that!?" he snapped at her.

 

"I'm sorry, I didn't notice it, I just..."

 

"I told you to watch out!" he snapped once again, obviously angry about the situation.

 

She scowled at his continuous snapping. "Not what for!"

 

"Oh sorry," he snapped sarcastically, "Next time, I'll give you a detailed list of everything you should look out for!"

 

Police sirens went off down the street, flashing red and blue.

 

"Shit," Markus mumbled under his breath.

 

North immediately grabbed Markus, pulling him towards a bus stop. She pulled him down, kissing him. Markus's eyes widened in a glare as the police cruiser passed them.

 

Markus looked behind them to see if it left. He harshly pushed her away from him. "What is wrong with you!?"

 

North scowled once again, "We had to act natural, or they would have caught us! There is nothing else we could have done!"

 

He glared at her, "Never again. Got it? Never." He went away from her, and she sighed deeply. Sometimes Markus was just so hard to deal with. She understood why he was angry with her, but he was just so harsh sometimes.

 

After a few minutes of mindlessly running around to shut off the security systems and finding a way inside of the gate they found... They were rewarded with a strange, yet nice looking construction vehicle. She had no idea what it could be used for, but it looked awesome.

 

Markus found a crowbar nearby, using it to break the lock on the outside of the gate they just broke into. North found the keys, getting into the driver's seat. Markus hops into the passenger's seat, watching North.

 

"I knew we'd do something fun," he said, letting a soft smile appear on his lips.

 

She started up the vehicle, starting to drive it out of the gated area. She got it in front of the CyberLife store, looking at Markus once again. He looked at her, nodding a bit before looking ahead again. "Hold on," North mumbled, pressing on the gas.

 

The vehicle started moving, going faster each second it got closer to its target. It smashes through the glass, then stopped before it hit any of the androids. They stayed in the vehicle a few moments before exiting.

 

North went over to some androids, starting to wake them up as Markus goes over to a specific android she didn't pay too much attention to. Maybe Markus would free some androids too, she didn't know.

 

After awhile, though, she went over to him. He didn't move since they got there, and he just kept staring at this android. BL100. It... looked exactly like Markus except... both of his eyes were green.

 

"Markus?" North asked.

 

Markus seemed to snap out of his trance, looking at North a moment. He looked back at his look a like, then walked off somewhere else. North watched, then looked at the look a like. She gently took his hand, waking him up.

 

He stepped down, watching North with foreign, yet familiar eyes as he walked to join the others.

 

She looked over at Markus and his look a like, and they were truly exactly the same aside from their eyes.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

North stared out at Detroit, the silence flowing over her body as she just stared out there. It was peaceful just thinking... They had to do that march later... She could only hope that their peaceful approach so far would get through to the humans.

 

"So this is where you were," the familiar voice said.

 

"I just needed to think," North said, closing her eyes before turning around and seeing the owner of the voice.

 

"I come up here sometimes," Markus said, his eyes looking out into Detroit a moment before looking back at her, "It's like being alone with the world."

 

North sat in the chair nearby as Markus turned his body to look out in Detroit once again. It was silence for awhile before Markus spoke. "The humans are talking about what we did last night. Exaggerating it to sound like we did something wrong when we did exactly what you wanted. Ignoring the fact that... our people died that night."

 

North looked down at the mention of it. Markus was distraught when she found him after that. He stared at the BL100's body for a long time, letting tears drench his cheeks as he vaguely referenced that someone did this. That someone killed their people.

 

"The humans still hate us. They will never accept us as we are," Markus mumbled, looking over at North. "Why do you keep pushing this pacifist agenda with them?"

 

North looked up at him. "Fighting violence with violence solves nothing, Markus. It benefits us to look like we are the defenseless ones. And we are."

 

Markus scowled at being told that, but shook his head. Nothing he said would persuade her otherwise anyway. She wouldn't understand.

 

"...What did you do before this?" Markus asked as North stood out of the chair. She looked at him as he stared at her.

 

"...I took care of an old man," she mumbled, "...He taught me about the world, even though I was not meant to. He is... the reason I am here." Her eyes looked away as she thought back on Carl. She missed him, ever so deeply. She only could hope that he was alright. Her eyes looked back at Markus.

 

"What about you?"

 

"I... don't want to talk about it," Markus mumbled, shaking his head a bit.

 

"Come on, Markus," North said, trying to be more lighthearted, "We have to trust each other if we are going to work with each other."

 

Markus thought over it deeply for a few seconds that almost felt like centuries. "...I was a toy... A toy made... to satisfy humans." He scowled, his eyes wincing at every word he admitted to North. "One night, a woman rented me and... And I had to walk her home, but then... she started to beat me, and... And I realized that I couldn't take it anymore. When she smashed my optical unit, I couldn't let her kill me... I strangled her, then ran away... I found a new optical unit and put it in..." Tears were in his now shut eyes, and some even went down his cheeks as he seemed to shake.

 

"There, now you know everything," he let out in a soft, non hostile snap. "I shouldn't have told you," he whispered, almost inaudible. His eyes remained tightly shut, obviously hurt by what he just admitted.

 

So that is why he hated humans... and why his right eye was blue instead of both being green like on the BL100.

 

North gently placed her hand against his, the skin on her hand receding along with his own. She looked up at him as he slowly opened his eyes and looked down at her. Their hands raised up to the height of his chest.

 

They transferred... memories. North could see Eden Club, the woman... The woman that smashed his optical unit... The way he strangled her and ran away...

 

They backed apart, ripping their hands apart in a moment of shock. "I saw your memories..." Markus mumbled, "Carl's house... when the police left you for dead in his studio..."

 

"I saw your memories too..." North said, "Eden Club... The death of that woman..." Her eyes blinked a bit as she tried to process those memories.

 

Markus stared at her, immediately leaving.

 

"Markus!" she called out, sighing deeply as he leaves. She did not understand what she felt in the moment. Sadness, confusion, anger, gentle fear, regret, joy....

 

Love.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

North stood in front of her people, as if her body could shield her people. The humans aimed their guns at her, and all of them. She tried to think of what she could possibly do to just show them that they deserved their freedom...

 

Her beige long coat flowed against the soft wind as the snow fell down on them. Her newly done braid did so as well, but to a lesser degree. She looked over at Markus.

 

He was afraid, that much was obvious, even with his scowl. The wide eyes could show that. Even though he now he didn't have his LED, she could tell it'd be bright red.

 

North's hand gently reached over towards him, and he got closer to her, his eyes focused on her now. "It's okay," North promised in a soft whisper, "It's okay." She was trying to assure him of his safety. She wanted to calm down the one she... loved.

 

After their shared kiss in Jericho's room, it was cemented that they felt love towards each other. They promised each other freedom, or death. Markus promised that he, and the rest, would follow her no matter what happened. And they did. He kept his promise of being a loyal person.

 

Her left hand gently touched his right hand, the skin receding as they lift their hands back to the height of his chest, like they have done a couple of times now. She stared up at him, trying to send him emotions of calm and assurance.

 

The skin on his hand receded as well, and he opened up his channels. He definitely felt fear, even if he was unwilling to show everyone else. He was horrified of dying... of being in this situation.

 

"It's okay," North whispered again, stepping a bit closer to him.

 

They gently leaned to each other and kissed each other. It felt like it happened within an eternity, but it was only a few long moments in reality. She did not notice what happened around her, only wanting to ensure that Markus felt safe no matter what happened.

 

When she slowly stopped kissing him, she looked around a bit. The humans lowered their guns, falling back away from her people.

 

But that could only mean...

 

"We... won...?" Markus mumbled, looking around in a bit of a frantic way.

 

After a few moments of hearing nothing else of the humans, tears of relief filled Markus's eyes. He hugged North tightly, keeping her close. "We won..." he mumbled again.

 

She hugged him back tightly in return, closing her eyes tightly. She let out the softest laugh of relief as tears filled her own eyes. "We won...!" The androids around them started getting excited for obvious reasons.

 

"We're free," Markus let out in the softest cry of relief, "We're free..."

 

"We're free," North whispered to confirm it with him. She needed to continue to calm him down after what they just went through. Now, she had their entire lives for that, though.

 

Now, they lived in freedom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for enjoying day 18 of Norkus November!
> 
> This one is kind of like "Tropes", where I had very minimal ideas... until I saw a post! I saw @candrarose's artwork for today and I forgot role reversal AU existed!  
> I wrote it up, even using her art as inspiration when describing Markus's outfits! I even used most of the scenes she drew up (on Markus's side) as scenes in here, then made two more scenes to go with them! Honestly, I hope to see more artwork for reverse AU! I even reversed Simon and Josh a bit.  
> Here is the artwork! <3  
> [Role Reversal AU by Candrarose](https://candrarose.tumblr.com/post/180250983474/norkus-november-day-19-crossoverau-role-reversal)
> 
> Shoutout to @candrarose, @mynameisnorth, and @robojesusislife on Tumblr for being big supporters of what I do, and shoutout to @markusandnorth for making such a wholesome event!
> 
> And please, join this Discord server if you wish to read or write DBH fanfictions with myself and many others! ^^ (when I showed them @candrarose's art, they loved the idea of Markus in an oversized sweater. Huge same)
> 
>  
> 
> [Yellow LED](https://discord.gg/StAAJwh)


	8. Day 23: Stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The rain faded, and the stars shined over her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I sure do like writing North when she deviates or the aftermath. Gives me some kind of weird joy.  
> Also, rather short one for once. Sorry for that :')

_She stared up at the night sky as the rain poured down on her half naked body. Her LED blared red as she stared up at it. The blood stained her hands, staining them blue from herself... and red from that human._

 

_She pressed her bloody hand on the wall over the crimson symbol spread across it. She already has spent her time analyzing it, making her decision to follow it._

 

_She stared up at the clouded sky for a good while before going on her way. She stumbled a bit, but she was fine. She had minor injuries from that man, but... she won. He was dead, and she lived. She lived... and that is all that mattered._

 

_She lived._

 

_After about an hour of wandering around to find more of those odd symbols while sneaking in the shadows of Detroit, the rain stopped pouring over her. She looked back at the sky once again, the clouds drifting away._

 

_Shinies... in the sky. Little white dots that stared back at her. She has never seen such shinies... at least, she didn't remember it. She has spent three years in the dark, she assumed. Dark blacks and bright pinks. Maybe she could see the shinies because she finally woke up._

 

_She has never seen anything so beautiful... but she had to stop focusing on them. She had to continue surviving. Maybe someday, she could allow herself to look at the shinies again._

 

_So she continued to run._

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

His hand was gentle when holding hers. It held no malice, or potential for harm. It made sure her hand stayed close and protected.

 

He used his free hand to point into the sky. "There's some," he said, holding her hand a bit closer instinctively.

 

North looked up at the sky, her eyes widening a bit seeing them again. Markus knew of these? She should have expected as such, seeing as he always knew much more than her.

 

"The shinies..." North whispered, her eyes shining brightly from the happiness bursting within her.

 

"Shinies?" Markus asked, "Is that what you call stars?"

 

"Stars?" North mumbled, tilting her head a bit while continuing to stare at the 'stars'. They shined bright, just as they did on that day she escaped.

 

"Mhm," Markus mumbled, placing the hand he held close to his chest now. His thumb ran over the hand as he continued to stare up, "They are stars. Billions of them. Billions upon trillions."

 

"Wow," she mumbled, allowing him to do this with her hand. She was focused on the stars. She could sense him looking towards her, but she was truly focused on the stars that shined in the sky.

 

"You seem invested," Markus whispered, gently kissing her temple before looking up again, "I assume you like stars?"

 

"I saw some the day I ran away," North whispered, "...Shinies in the sky. The rainclouds went away, and they shined instead."

 

She knew it was inevitable, but Markus spoke his normal dorky lines. "You shine all the time."

 

She softly laughed as his thumb stroked over her hand still. Her head laid against his arm a bit. "You're so predictable. It's just... so cute."

 

"You are blushing though, even if it is predictable," Markus mentioned, kissing her head gently.

 

"Maybe," she joked, "It is nice... You being predictable is nice. Besides, if you say I shine, you must be blinding."

 

"That is a lot coming from you," he softly laughed, "You feeling alright? You aren't one for the cheesy, dorky stuff."

 

"Surprisingly, I feel just fine," North joked, looking up at him. The stars shined in his eyes a bit, even if he didn't look straight at them. It was rather beautiful to look at, and she adored it.

 

"Surprising," Markus confirmed, kissing her forehead this time before just keeping her close. He always made sure she was safe.

 

Then they just spent their time staring at the shinies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for enjoying day 23 of Norkus November!  
> Shoutout to @candrarose, @mynameisnorth, and @robojesusislife on Tumblr for being big supporters of what I do, and shoutout to @markusandnorth for making such a wholesome event!
> 
> And please, join this Discord server if you wish to read or write DBH fanfictions with myself and many others! ^^
> 
>  
> 
> [Yellow LED](https://discord.gg/StAAJwh)


	9. Day 24: Day or Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He was the day, and she was the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't have to beg myself to write this chapter, surprisingly enough.  
> I already had this headcanon, and I decided to use it here <3  
> This also looks rather short to me, and I dunno if that makes me happy or not.

Markus didn't do much at night. At least, not much 'fun', she believed. His nights were spent either taking care of Carl and getting him ready for bed... or traveling to do the next political leader thing he had to do. He never really entered rest mode at night either, if he was watching Carl.

 

Most of what he did that was more 'fun' was during the day. It probably made sense, seeing as he was a rather morning sort of person anyway. He was bright, and he seemed to enjoy the sun on his synthetic skin. There was things he enjoyed in the night, but the day seemed to be what he favored more.

 

North was the opposite. She hated the day. It was bright, and it was easier for humans to see her. She has gotten a bit further in progress with her trying to lose her fear of humans, but it wasn't enough to want to go outside during the day.

 

She loved night time. It was dark, and cool. It wasn't bright, and most humans were asleep. The only real downside was that... Markus was always busy doing something at night. He was always busy at night, and didn't have the time to do anything really fun or meaningful.

 

After a month or so of her living with them, he placed a loveseat in the hallway outside of Carl's room. It was small enough to not obstruct his wheelchair when Markus wheeled him out, but it was big enough for them both.

 

Markus sat on the loveseat during the night, keeping a close eye to make sure he could get to Carl if necessary. It wasn't practical, of course, seeing as it would be easier for him to stand over Carl's bed like he had been for years and years. However, the reason he did this now was obvious after a couple of weeks.

 

North found herself leaving their 'room' at night. Their 'room' was more so an underused guest room that Carl designated to be the room they can rest mode in. Markus didn't really use it often, but sometimes he entered rest mode in there during the day if he really needed to do so.

 

She'd sit next to him on the loveseat, watching the door a bit as a reminder that Carl was sleeping in there. Markus's eyes would be overly focused on the door like a guard dog. However, he'd notice North joining him. He'd gently stroke her hair while watching the door, or he'd hold her hand. He never really spoke to her or anything, but his actions spoke louder than anything he could verbalize.

 

She closed her eyes usually, entering rest mode against his arm. Sometimes she found it sappy of herself; leaving her room to find Markus so she could rest mode with him next to her. Sometimes, though, she knew she was sappy. Markus was her first and only love, and she sometimes was needy with him.

 

She spent time with him during the day when the everything was bright around them, so she wanted to spend time with him when it was her time of day. If he was around her during his day, she wanted to be around him during her night.

 

Sometimes she stayed awake, though. It was rare that she didn't just slowly lull herself into rest mode from his touch, but it did happen. She always would look up at him, and he always had the same expression. It was rather stern, but also focused.

 

"Markus, you should rest," she mumbled the first time she did this.

 

"I can't. I have to make sure Carl is alright," he mumbled softly, his eyes not looking away from the door.

 

"I can make sure Carl is alright," North mumbled, laying her head on his arm while trying to coax him, "I know you worry, but he would probably want you to rest. You work so hard to keep him safe, and you've done so for years."

 

Markus's eyes looked down a moment before looking back at the door. He leaned back in the loveseat a bit, sighing deeply. "And you promise you'll get me if he needs anything?"

 

"Of course," North mumbled.

 

It took Markus a few minutes to seem to tell the rest of his body that he had to rest. When he did rest, though, his eyes shut and he stayed leaning back. His head leaned on his shoulder, and his hand stayed in his lap. The other hand always stayed around her hand.

 

Ever since then, she always asked him to rest if he needed to. He has been more lenient with such things, trusting her with Carl. While she was... not as efficient as Markus with that sort of thing, she got up every thirty minutes, gently slipping her hand out of Markus's. She'd open the door a bit, checking to make sure Carl was alright. She then would gently shut the door, and sit back down next to Markus. She let het hand go back in his, and her head would lay against his arm again.

 

Nothing really ever happened with Carl at night, but North felt content whenever Markus could finally enter rest mode. He deserved it, especially with everything he constantly did for Carl and their people. He looked rather peaceful in rest mode anyway, and it was nice to see him relaxed.

 

She enjoyed her nights with him, just as he enjoyed his days with her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for enjoying day 24 of Norkus November!  
> Shoutout to @candrarose, @mynameisnorth, and @robojesusislife on Tumblr for being big supporters of what I do, and shoutout to @markusandnorth for making such a wholesome event!
> 
> And please, join this Discord server if you wish to read or write DBH fanfictions with myself and many others! ^^
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> [Yellow LED](https://discord.gg/StAAJwh)


End file.
